lassic Legends was founded with a vision to reintroduce iconic motorcycle brands in India and international markets. The company currently boasts an elaborate portfolio, including the Jawa, Yezdi, and BSA marquee brands. They offer 10 models, including the latest Jawa 42 FJ, with prices starting at Rs1,99,142 (ex-showroom Delhi). The company also launched the BSA Gold Star 650 on India’s 78th Independence Day. The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), once the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer and a pillar of British industrial heritage, has maintained a fan following since its founding in 1861. Classic Legends aims to bring renewed fervour to the retro-classic motorcycle market.
Launched in 2018, Jawa Motorcycles was the first brand to be reintroduced as part of the Classic Legends stable. Soon after its launch, the brand became the most searched for motorcycle on Google, with its 10-month inventory sold out in the first month. Jawa is now an established motorcycling lifestyle brand. These mid-size premium bikes cater to the entire motorcycling spectrum, from urban city rides and off-roading to long-distance touring.
Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles’ all-new 350 Jawa 42 FJ is the latest member of the Jawa 42 Life series. Building on the success of the 42 and 42 Bobber, the 350 Jawa 42 FJ marks an exciting new chapter for the ‘42 Life’ theme, celebrating a commitment to superior design and an unparalleled riding experience. The name of this motorcycle is inspired by František Janecek, the visionary founder of Jawa, and aims to deliver a bold, modern riding experience for motorcycling enthusiasts.
“The 2024 Jawa 42 embodies our design-led approach to motorcycle engineering. As pioneers of Neo-Classics in India, the 42 FJ is a testament to our challenger spirit and disruptive approach,” said Anupam Thareja, co-founder of Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles. “It’s been a fantastic ride. All the difficulties we faced, all the issues that would normally not be scripted, happened to us. And yet, we’re still standing stronger than before. Like I’ve always said, challengers define the norm and succeed through it.”
Jawa’s journey
Discussing Jawa’s journey to India, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, said: “We’ve heard many stories, and we’ve written some of our own. The reason I love to tell stories is because I believe stories build brands. At their essence, brands are an aggregation of their stories—why they were formed, how they were built, and how they grew. New brands tell new stories, and often resurrected old brands tell new stories too. We at Classic Legends are privileged to have the opportunity to resurrect an old brand. Let me start with Jawa’s old history. This company was founded in 1929 in what was then Czechoslovakia by František Janecek, who acquired plans from the German motorcycle company Wanderer. That’s how the name came about – a combination of Janecek and Wanderer became Jawa. He built these bikes to be rugged, affordable, and reliable, which quickly made them a craze in Europe.”
“That was the old history. The new history began in 2016 when we at Mahindra decided we belonged not in the commuter bike segment, but in the premium motorcycle segment. I called up Anupam, who was an investor in one of our companies, a well-known biker, and an expert, and I asked: ‘What’s the right way forward?’ He said one word: Jawa. It is Boman who controls the brand. I said, ‘Anupam, why don’t you go and meet him?’ He came back saying: ‘Now I know why Parsis are called eccentric, or as we say in Bombay, crazy Bawas.’ Boman said: ‘I don’t want any money. I want to join you.’ They make the world go round. And so, as we started this partnership, Mahindra brought in whatever resources we could. We are all challengers. The excitement this brand will bring keeps us going. We’re running a marathon, and while we may fall or slip, we’ll rise and keep running. We hope all of you will stay the distance with us and cheer us on,” explains Mahindra.
Currently, the mid-size motorcycle segment is dominated by Royal Enfield. However, Classic Legends has aggressive plans and investments lined up, offering a variety of models to customers, expanding the dealer network and increasing exports to global markets. India is the world’s largest two-wheeler market, and there is huge potential to tap. How Classic Legends executes these plans to increase its sales numbers remains to be seen.